The recent rise of Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreaks has been linked to severe neurological disorders. ZIKV relies on the activity of the NS2B/NS3 protease for polyprotein processing, and the collaborative team aims to uncover novel small molecule inhibitors of this viral protease. During this period, the NCGC and collaborative team worked to optimize and validate a high-throughput NS2B assay and conduct primary screening; validation and characterization of identified hit molecules is currently underway.